Synchronizing system.



UNITE STATES PATENT OFFIGE.

CHARLES E. SCRIBNER, 0F JERICHO, VERMONT, ASSIGLN'OR, BY MESNE ASSIGNMENTS, TO WESTERN ELECTRIC COMPANY, INCORPORATED, A CORPORATION OF NEW YORK.

Application filed May 19, 1915.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, CHARLES E. SGRIBNER, a citizen of the United States, residing at Jericho, in the county of Chittenden and State of Vermont, have invented certaln new and useful Improvements in Synchronizing Systems, of which the following is a full, clear, concise, and exact description.

This invention relates to synchronizing systems, and its principal object is to provide improved means for insuring the maintenance of synchronism between separated and independently driven rotatable bod es operatively interconnected by a transmlssion line.

In accordance with its general features, the invention contemplates a clutch between one of the rotatable bodies and itsdriver and electromechanical means controlled by line current impulses for causing the clutch to slip and allow a predetermined relative angular displacement between the body and its member.

The above and other objects of this invention will be fully set forth in the following description and claims and will be more readily understood by reference to the accompanying drawings, in which Flgures 1 and 2 combined show diagrammaticallythe preferred arrangement of circuit connections and a side elevation of the synchronizing mechanism; and Fig. 3 shows a section on the line 33 of Fig. 2.

A transmitting current distributer 5 provided with a rotatable brush carrying arm is adapted, in the usual manner of multipleX telegraphs, to impart signaling and synchronizing current impulses to a transmission line L. At the receivlng station these impulses pass through the windings of a polarized line relay 7 of the usual construction and, if duplex operation 1s desired, the customary artificial line AL is provided. In addition to the line relay 7, the receiving station is provided with a distributer head 8 which is composed, 1n the usual manner, of insulated receiving, correcting and sending segments and the necessary common conducting rings. This head is shown partly developed 1n the lower right-hand corner of Fig. 1, wherein their relation to the reversals of line current, in the condition of exact synchronism, are clearly shown. The receiving, correcting Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Aug. 20, 1918.

Serial No. 29,111.

and sending segments are adapted to be in terconnected with their corresponding common rings by suitable sets of brushes 9. These brushes are carried and are adapted to be rotated over the distributer head by a brush carrying arm 10. Arm 10 is securely fastened to a suitable shaft 11.

Rotary motion is communicated to shaft 11 and consequently to brushes 9 by a suitable motor 15 through tlr'e agency of a clutch 16. This clutch is composed of a ratchet or jockey wheel 17 securely fastened to shaft 11 and whose teeth are engaged by a jockey roller 18. Jockey roller 18 is journaled in an arm 19 which is pivotally carried at 20 by an L-shaped arm 21 fast to the shaft of motor 15. A spring 22 secured to the ends of arms 19 and 21, causes the roller 18 to normally rest between the teeth of ratchet wheel 17. As long, therefore, as arm 10 can move freely, it will be rotated through clutch 16 at the same speed as the shaft of motor 15, but if the movement of arm 10 can be momentarily arrested, clutch 16 will slip because of the jockey roller 18 riding over the teeth of ratchet wheel 17.

Electromechanical means are provided, for momentarily arresting arm 10, which comprise a flexible disk 25 carried by shaft 11 and rotating within the magnetic field of a correcting electromagnet 26. The energization of electromagnet 26 attracts the outer edge of disk 25, and the disk and consequently shaft 11 are either stopped altogether or their rotation is made so diflicult that jockey roller 18 rides over the teeth of ratchet wheel 17 and there is an angular displacement between arm 10 and the motor shaft. Upon the deenergization of electromagnet 26, disk 25 springs back to its normal condition, and arm 10 and the shaft of motor 15 again rotate at the same speed. The return of disk 25 may be assisted by a suitable spring 27.

In order that impulses in line L may influence the energization of correcting electromagnet 26 to cause a suitable slip in clutch 16 to insure synchronism between arms 6 and 10, a system of relays and connections is provided whereby electromagnet 26 is energized at the proper times. There is a polarized leak relay 30, one terminal of whose windings is connected to ground,

,the other terminalsbeing connected through ing ring of head 8 and coiiperates with a contact 41, Contact 41 is connected between resistance 32 and contact 34 of line relay 7, and contact 34 is also connected to a commonreceiving ring of head 8. The point between the windings of the line relay is connected to a common sending ring of the distributer head.

There are two correcting segments for each sending segment and they are divided into two groups, each group being made up of non-adjacent segments. The segments of one group are unconnected and are therefore dead, while those of the other group are connected together and to a winding 45 of a correcting relay 46. A winding 47 of this relay is joined to the conductor ext-ending between resistance 31 and contact 33. Thepoint between windings 45 and 47 is grounded. Correcting relay 46 is equipped with an armature 48 connected to a grounded source of energy 49 and coiiperating with a dead contact, and a contact 50 connected to the winding of a circuit interrupting rclay 51. Relay 5 1 is provided with a groundedarmature 52 and a movable contact 53 which is connected, as shown, to one terminal of the relay winding, and cotiperates with a fixed contact 54 which is joined by conductor 55 to the winding of electromagnet 26.

In operation, current reversals or current impulses from transmitting distributer 5 traverse line Land act upon line relay 7 in the usual manner. If it is assumed that positive current acting upon relay 7 causes its armature 35 to engage contact 34, grounded source 36 will thereupon be connected to the common receiving ring of distributer head 8. Negative current acting on relay 7, on the other hand, causing armature 35 to engage contact 33, will not have such an effect. Whatever the polarity of current flowing through the windings of relay 7, its arma- .ture 35 causes current to flow from source the last impulse overline L was of negative polarity. It now a reversal of current in line L occurs, armature 35 will engage contact 34. The above mentioned interconnection of source 36 and the receiving ring will take place, and a circuit will be completed from source 36 through resistance 32 and the right-hand winding of leak relay 30 to ground. This latter circuit so energizes leak relay 30 that armature. 40 is moved from contact 41. In the interval, however, between the engagement of armature 35 and contact 34 and the disengagement of armature 40 and contact 41, a circuit is prepared from grounded source 36 through armature 35, contacts 34 and 41 and armature 40 to the common correcting ring of head 8. If the correcting brushes 9 are interconnecting one of the live group of correcting segments, this circuit is completed through winding 45 of correcting relay 46, while if the brushesare interconnecting the common ring with one of the dead group of correcting segments no complete circuit will be formed. The energization of winding 47 moves armature 48 to the dead contact, while the energizae tion of winding 45 moves the armature into engagement with contact 50.

Normally, motor 15 is adapted to rotate 7 arm 10 at a slightly higher speed than arm 6 is being driven, so that the tendency is for brushes 9 to gain upon the brushes car ried by arm 6. When the correcting brushes 9 have gained upon the brushes 6 enough so that a reversal takes place while one of the correcting segments connected to winding 45 is being interconnected with the common correcting ring, the circuit above described will bepclosed, armature 48 will engage contact 50, and a circuit will be completed from grounded source 49 through armature 48 and contact 50, winding of relay 51, contacts'53 and 54, and by conductor 55 through the winding of electro magnet 26. This flow of current energizes electromagnet 26 which attracts disk '25 arresting the rotation of shaft 11 sufliciently to resultin the slipping of clutch 16, as hereinbefore described, and there results an angular displacement between the armature .of motor 15 and arm 10. Relay 51 is also energized which, in pulling up its armature 52, disengages contacts 53 and 54 opening the circuit through electromagnet 26, and completing a holding circuit for itself from source 49 to ground through contact 53 and armature 52. The engagement of armature 48 and contact 50 of correcting relay 46. is, therefore, able to provide only a momentary energization of electromagnet 26 no matter how long this engagement is maintained, and consequently the correcting action upon disk 25 and brush carrying arm 10 is only momentary, and there is no danger of the action of the distributer being stopped altogether or so hindered in its operation as to function improperly.

The next reversal of current in line L which,in the case assumed, will cause negative current to traverse the windings of line relay 7, will cause. armature 35 to become again engaged with contact 33. This will cause an energizing circuit to be completed from source 36 in parallel through the lefthand windings of leak relay 30, and correcting relay 46 and armatures 40 and 48 will be moved out of engagement with contacts ll and 50 respectively. A speed correction has been made and the synchronizing apparatus is again at normal ready to repeat the hereinbefore described operations as re 10 quired.

The invention claimed is:

1. A synchronizing system comprising a rotatable correcting body, a rotatable cor- 'rected body, independent members for rotating said bodies, a clutch interconnecting said corrected body and its driving member, and means controlled by said correcting body to momentarily arrest said corrected body causing said clutch to slip and pro ducing an invariable predetermined relative displacement between said corrected body and its driving member for maintaining synchronism between the two bodies.

I m, 2. Synchronizing apparatus comprising a distributer head, a brush carrying arm therefor, means for driving said arm, a clutch between said arm and said means, a member rigidly connected to said brush arm, and an electromagnet adapted to at- 530 -tract said member for arresting said arm and causing said clutch to slip an invariable predetermined amount.

3. Synchronizing apparatus comprising a distributer head, a rotatable brush carrying arm therefor, a motor for driving said arm, a slip clutch interconnecting said arm and said motor, an electromagnet, and a flexible disk adapted to be attracted by said electromagnet when energized, and means cooperating with said disk, said arm and said electromagnet for causing said clutch to slip a predetermined invariable amount to produce relative displacement between said arm and said motor.

4. A synchronizing system comprising a movable correcting body, a movable corrected body, independent members for driving said bodies, a clutch interconnecting said corrected body and its driving member, a flexible disk connected to said corrected body, and a magnet under the control of the correcting body and adapted when energized to magnetically hold said disk, causing said clutch to slip and producing relative displacement between said corrected body and its driving member.

In witness whereof, I hereunto subscribe my name this 18th day of May A. D., 1915.

CHARLES E. SCRIBNER.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents, Washington, D. O. 

